n what looked and smelled like archetypal baseball retaliation, the Mets plunked Cincinnati star Joey Votto with a pitch only to see their star, David Wright, get hit innings later. The Reds insist it wasn’t intentional, but the Mets — who aren’t buying that — said even if it was on purpose, it was done professionally.

“That’s the way you play the game. I know we didn’t hit Joey on purpose, but you take care of your guys. We would have done the same thing,’’ said Wright, who had been robbed of his chance to literally take one for the team when manager Terry Collins pulled him from an 8-0 loss May 15 after the Mets had hit Ryan Braun.

Friday night, Wright finally got his wish.

Mets starter Dillon Gee hit Votto in the third inning of the Mets’ 7-3 loss and Reds reliever Sean Marshall grazed Wright in the eighth. But the pitch was low, around his midsection, and barely touched Wright’s shirt.

“It hit me in the stomach. It was done in the right way. That’s the way you play the game. I appreciate that, keeping the ball down,’’ said Wright. “Dillon didn’t mean to hit Joey, but obviously you protect your own hitters. That’s the way it goes.’’

“Well, I watched the same thing you did the other day,’’ Collins said. “When their guy got hit, they answered, so I’m not surprised.’’

That would refer to a heated incident during the Reds’ sweep of the Indians, when Mat Latos buzzed Cleveland starter Derek Lowe and the latter hit Brandon Phillips. Reds manager Dusty Baker and Lowe waged a war of words, but last night Baker said he didn’t see any intent on either side.

“We didn’t think there was any intent,” Baker said. “ Every time somebody gets hit now people think there was intent. You can tell if there’s intent or not. We didn’t think that.”

When told it looked suspicious because of the Reds hitting the Mets star, Baker dismissed that.

“Well, you can perceive anything you want to,” the manager said. “That guy’s a heck of a player. He’s 4-for-6 off Marshall, so evidently nothing else has worked, so he’s trying to come inside with a fastball.’’

Votto agreed, saying he didn’t feel he was hit on purpose.

“No,’’ said Votto, who claimed he had no idea the Reds hit Wright. “We hit Wright? [Well], people can perceive whatever we want but I didn’t see anything.’’